Claude Chappe Signalling Device

Title: @standageVictorianInternetRemarkable1998 date: 2023-03-03 type: literature project:

tags:: #telegraph #Cipher #Ciphers #codebook #atomic #memex2 projects::

Often dubbed the first telegraph.

The very first iteration that was devised was by striking two casserole dishes that could be heard from ways away, then the person listening for it would dicipher what it meant by the different kinds of "clangs." They used a code book to store what the different "clangs meant. The caveat was that you had to be within earshot and the message could easily be lost in translation. To improve on this, Chappe switching to flipping a tall board with black on one side and white on the other with each flip representing something, this drastically improved the range of the mechanism. In the final design it became a tower with a few arms that could tilt with each combination representing a different code in the codebook (Standage,1998).

Things holding it back¶

There were many things holding the technology back from adoption, one of the main ones was the turmoil from the French Revolution, the government was very preoccupied by Napoleon. Another was that the second test was sabotaged by a mob of protestors.

Things that accelerated it¶

When they finally decided on the swinging arms it became a lot more reliable, stanardized and you could have way more combinations for codes. When it intrigued Charles-Gilbert Romme, the current president of the Committee of Public Instruction,, it led to the government becoming interested in the technology. Eventually, Chappe got help by many others such as Joseph Lakanal, Louise Arbogast, Pierre Claude Francois Daunou, who helped tremendously with the development. Since, the device had started becoming popular, it was also funded. (talk about the success of the first one)(Standage,1998). Napoleon liked the telegraph because he could use it to easily trasmit military details and get live information on how certain battles are going from far away.

Competencies on which it lies¶

It lies on the users' ability to quickly decipher each position in a big code book. It relied on a clear line of sight between each tower (frequently blocked by fog).

Citational Information¶

@standageVictorianInternetRemarkable1998

Related Links¶

Substitution Cipher It wasn't very accessible other than to the government because you needed to be well trained in using it and only people who did it for a living can operate them efficiently. Accessibility with the telegraph